$108,000 a Year Is Adequate, but What Is Other $102 for?

Bo Schembechler draws a salary of $108,102 at Michigan, more than any other coach in the Big Ten and $20,000 more than his athletic director, Don Canham, but he’s not apologizing.

“I came here for $21,000 a year,” said Schembechler, claiming he has paid his dues. “There was a decade when I ran up a few bills.”

He recalled his early days as a low-paid assistant under Woody Hayes at Ohio State.

“The most underpaid coach in the history of college football was Woody Hayes,” Schembechler said. “He just didn’t care. All of us assistants used to say, ‘Aw, c’mon, Woody. Care .’ ”

Add Salaries: Nobody seems to know what Lou Holtz is getting at Notre Dame, but he claims it’s irrelevant.

“There are two things I’ve never wanted to be,” he said. “Real rich or poor. Being a football coach enables me to do it.”

Trivia Time: What’s the name of the Houston nightclub where four members of the New York Mets were arrested for disturbing the peace? (Answer below.)

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: When Houston catcher Alan Ashby stole his first base in four years this season, it was only because the batter, Nolan Ryan, missed a hit-and-run sign.

Said Ryan: “To be honest, I don’t know what the hit-and-run sign is, and I sure wouldn’t be looking for it with Ashby running.”

St. Louis Manager Whitey Herzog, on his team’s 56 homers, five short of Roger Maris’ record: “I’ve been lucky enough to manage in the live-ball era and the dead-ball era in back-to-back years.”

Add Forgettable Quotes: Said St. Louis linebacker E.J. Junior, after the Cardinals had beaten the Chicago Bears in the exhibition season, 14-7: “I hope this shows the old team is dead. The team that went 5-11 last year no longer exists.”

Could the new one be worse?

From Bill Conlin of the Sporting News: “Reader Randy Freeman of Riverside, Calif., submits his favorite for the bad trade of 1986 prize, an autographed picture of Ernie Broglio--autographed by Lou Brock. Freeman offers the Dodgers trading outfield prospect Candy Maldonado for second-string catcher Lee Trevino. Yes, that was coyote ugly.”

Right. Everyone knows Lee Trevino doesn’t hit the long ball.

New England Patriot Coach Raymond Berry, on Seattle Seahawk receiver Steve Largent, who passed Berry on the NFL’s reception list: “He’s a much better receiver than I was. He never seems to slow down, even though he’s going against some exceptional defensive players.

“Even someone like Lester Hayes has trouble covering him. If I had to make a living against Lester Hayes, there’d be nothing left of me except bruises.”

Trivia Answer: Cooter’s.

Quotebook

Ram Coach John Robinson, on the crash course Jim Everett is getting at quarterback: “It’s like the old phrase, ‘We’ll open no wine before it’s time.’ That is, unless you’re real thirsty.”